Trump & Vance’s Power Play Backfires

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The White House’s coordinated ambush on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a staged humiliation designed to make him appear ungrateful and unworthy. It was also a thin smokescreen for Trump and Vance’s weakness and subservience to Putin.

On Friday, Trump and Vance berated Zelenskyy in unison and sought to give Americans a negative perception of him. This calculated manipulation of power dynamics was intended to diminish Zelenskyy while positioning Trump and Vance as the disappointed masters of Ukraine’s fate.

But this was a staged drama. Trump and Vance openly provoked Zelenskyy and manufactured their own indignation.

Interestingly, a Russian politician predicted the meeting’s outcome a day earlier. From a Daily Beast story by Julia Davis:

One day earlier, Zelensky’s Oval Office ambush was predicted by State Duma member Oleg Morozov on 60 Minutes, a state TV show. Morozov said that the meeting would be a lesson in humiliation, designed to condition Zelensky to capitulate to the United States—and later to Russia.

The lawmaker said that the Ukrainian president was flying to America “to sign an act of capitulation,” referring to the rare earth mineral deal Trump was determined to get as a “payback” for previous aid to Ukraine. Describing Trump as Zelensky’s “Daddy,” Morozov predicted, “They will rub his nose into everything, like a messy puppy... Then he will sign whatever he is told to sign.” Host Evgeny Popov chimed in, “But first, Daddy will flog him.”

Theater of Metaphors

Note the use of metaphors. Morozov and Popov cast Zelenskyy as a child who faces discipline from “Daddy.” This fits the recent MAGA trend of overtly portraying Trump as a father figure.

Morozov also portrayed Ukraine's president as a “messy puppy” who needed his nose rubbed in feces to learn a lesson. (Note: Despite this popular metaphor of punishment-as-lesson, experts say this cruel treatment does not work and amounts to animal abuse.)

Moscow named the frames. Trump and Vance acted them out. Quite a coincidence!

The Oval Office spectacle was theater, not diplomacy. Trump and Vance executed a performance to make Ukraine seem like a burden and to make Zelenskyy look like an ungrateful dependent.

The goal was clear: force Zelenskyy to bow, break his resolve, and broadcast that Ukraine deserves its fate. It didn't work.

Trump and Vance: Putin's Weak Children

The reality: Trump and Vance exposed their weakness.

Their performance was a shoddy effort to mask that they are followers – subservient to Putin and eager to please him. They betrayed American interests and values by delivering to Putin exactly what he wanted.

“He is pursuing policies that are beneficial for Russia,” said Vitaly Tretyakov while praising Trump on Russian TV. “With respect to Ukraine, he is ready to give Russia everything it wants to take.”

Trump and Vance tried to present themselves as “strict fathers” disciplining a child. In reality, they openly groveled for Putin's approval like little boys eager to please their father.

Their attempt to degrade Zelenskyy wasn’t about U.S. power – it was about hiding their own humiliation. They plan to betray democracy by abandoning Ukraine. But they need a cover story to make it appear as if everything is Ukraine’s fault.

They tried to break Zelenskyy, but they failed. He stood his ground, maintained his dignity, and refused to allow Trump to extort a crooked and unjust minerals deal from his country.

Meanwhile, Trump and Vance revealed themselves as impotent men playing pretend while democracy hangs in the balance.

The spectacle of American surrender was too much even for some Republicans to handle. Representative Don Bacon, a moderate Republican from Nebraska, called it “A bad day for America's foreign policy.”

“Ukraine wants independence, free markets and rule of law,” he said. “It wants to be part of the West. Russia hates us and our Western values. We should be clear that we stand for freedom.”

Freedom is what U.S. support for Ukraine is really about. The question is whether democratic nations will stand by as an evil and murderous dictator (Putin) tries to destroy a free and democratic nation.

Trump, whose interests always seem to magically align with Putin's for some reason, is making it clear that he stands with the tyrant. After all, he is a wannabe tyrant himself.

Trump and Vance did exactly as Putin's henchman said they would. Like Putin's good little puppets, they seemed to perform on cue. With practiced contempt, Trump delivered his scripted line to Zelenskyy: “You don’t have the cards right now.”

“I’m not playing cards,” said Zelenskyy.

He was right to reject the gambling metaphor. A democratic nation’s fate shouldn’t be compared to a game of chance. Besides, Trump – who famously bankrupted multiple casinos – has clearly stacked the deck for Putin, and against democracy.

What You Can Do Now

Democratic values don't defend themselves. They require active citizen participation and protection.Here's how you can make an impact:

Spread awareness about what's happening. When more Americans understand the true dynamics of Trump subservience to Putin, public pressure will build.

Make sure your networks know that Trump and Vance did exactly as Putin's henchman predicted they would.

Forward this analysis to friends and family members, especially those who might be persuaded by false narratives.

Call Your Representatives

Democracy works when citizens speak up. Use 5 Calls to quickly connect with your elected officials. Demand they:

Publicly condemn the treatment of President Zelenskyy
Support continued aid to Ukraine
Stand against authoritarian influence in American politics

A flood of constituent calls can shift political calculations. Your voice matters.

Join 50501

Defeating authoritarianism requires organized public resistance. Join 50501 (fiftyfifty.one) to connect with a nationwide network prepared for peaceful protests and coordinated action.

History shows that authoritarian power grabs succeed when ordinary citizens remain passive. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Now is the time to participate in its defense.

Rachel Maddow 'connects the dots' on Trump and Russia

This video is worth watching and sharing.